"Rahul Gandhi tries to mislead by speaking the language of Pakistan," says Rijiju .... Monsoon session of Parliament set for tumultuous drama

"Rahul Gandhi tries to mislead by speaking the language of Pakistan on foreign policy," says Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju giving clearly an indication that the Monsoon session of Parliament beginning next week will be tumultuous.

Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi has alleged that External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar has been "running a full-blown circus aimed at destroying India's foreign policy".

The Congress leader on Tuesday tagged a media report on S Jaishankar calling on Chinese President Xi Jinping and apprising him of the recent development in India-China ties.

While the Opposition parties are trying to arm themselves with a host of issues to attack the government; the treasury bench would be focused on Operation Sindoor, its unique success, India scaling new heights in diplomacy and also on its continued efforts to bring ensure peace and enhanced development in the north east. Things may not be clear as of yet; but the centre may favour restoration of a popular government in Manipur.  

The mandarins in Delhi are also busy trying to bring some tangible results of the peace efforts and an early Solution pact in Nagaland. 

Eight new bills, and possibly a resolution to extend President's Rule in Manipur, are on the agenda for the monsoon session of Parliament that will begin July 21.

There will be a total of 21 sittings till August 21, with a break from August 12 to 18, in a Parliament session that is likely to, once again, deliver stormy confrontations. 

Among the likely flashpoints will be the Election Commission's 'special intensive revision' ahead of the Bihar Assembly election later this year. The opposition - i.e., the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal - have been protesting the decision to revise the voter list months before the election. The poll panel has said the exercise will ensure a free, fair, and transparent poll.

The matter is being heard by the Supreme Court. Last week it said the EC had the constitutional mandate to conduct this exercise, but expressed "serious doubts" over the timing.

In addition the government will also look to pass the new Income Tax Bill; this had been tabled in the last session and then referred to a joint parliamentary committee for further scrutiny.

The new bill, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told Parliament in February, will cut through the jargon in the 1961 Income Tax Act and make it easier to understand for the common person. If it passed in this session, the law comes into effect from April 1, 2026.

Among the proposed changes and amendments is the concept of a 'tax year', which will replace the simultaneous use of 'financial year', or FY, and 'accounting year', or AY. In other words, under current income tax laws, tax for income earned in 2023/24, for example, is paid in 2024/25.

The proposed change will see the introduction of a 'tax year', so tax on income earned in a year will be paid that year. It has also omitted redundant sections, like those about 'fringe benefit tax'. Overall, it tries to replace the 1961 Act, which critics had become voluminous due to amendments made over the past 60 years.

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